New Orleans (CNN) - Her speeches are typically loaded with partisan zingers and Obama-bashing, but for the first time since the 2008 presidential campaign, Sarah Palin delivered a speech that focused as much on policy ideas as it did on political combat.

To be sure, her much-anticipated remarks Friday to the Southern Republican Leadership Conference were laced with a heavy dose of Republican cheerleading that drew cheers from the audience of party activists who had earlier stampeded into the speech venue to snag prime seating for her appearance.

"There is no shame in being the 'Party if No' if the other side is proposing an idea that violates our values, violates our conscience, violates the Constitution," she said, deviating from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who urged the SRLC crowd on Thursday to pivot to being the "Party of Yes."

But without shying away from heated partisan rhetoric, Palin spent the latter half of her talk expounding on differences between Democratic and Republican energy policies, a comfortable topic for the former Alaska governor and onetime chair of the state's Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.

She called President Obama's decision to expand offshore drilling "smoke and mirrors" - cover for a slate of more liberal energy policies that he and Democrats in Congress plan to enact.

She faulted the Obama administration for not opening up more areas to oil and gas drilling, particularly in her home state of Alaska. It's time to "stop ignoring" the National Petroluem Reserve Alaska and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, she said, even if a caribou has to "take one for the team."

"It's 'Drill, Baby, Drill,' not 'Stall, Baby, Stall,'" she said.

On foreign policy, Palin launched a volley of attacks against the White House that echoed some of the missives she has posted on her Facebook page over the last year. The Obama administration, she claimed, "alienates our friends."

"They treated Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai poorly and acted surprised when he reacted in kind," she said. "And they escalated a minor zoning decision into a major breach with Israel, our closest ally in the Middle East."

And acknowledging Thursday's headlines, Palin couldn't resist a mocking jab at President Obama after he charged in an ABC News interview that she is "not much of an expert" on nuclear weapons.

"And President Obama, with all that vast nuclear expertise he acquired as a community organizer, a part-time senator, and a candidate for president, has accomplished nothing to date with Iran or North Korea," she said.

soundoff(218 Responses)

Mike

"treated Karzai poorly"? the man's a corrupt politician
"minor zoning decision"? Please, please don't insert yourself into middle east politics. That would be like smoking in a fireworks factory
Suggesting Reagan wouldn't cut back on nuclear weapons? That was exactly Reagan's goal and Obama did it by the same amount RR suggested.
Deriding Obama's "vast nuclear expertise"? The man is intelligent enough to seek advice from those who are experts, and wise enough to make the right decisions from that information.

Palin, you are ignorant. You refuse to open a book to learn anything from the past, and draw conclusions from a ficticious history created in your imagination. Your ego is way to big for your lightweight intellect.

April 9, 2010 03:47 pm at 3:47 pm |

Citizen

Palin....You lost the election....Just deal with it like an adult.

April 9, 2010 03:47 pm at 3:47 pm |

aware

Obama is certainly the most narcissistic guy around, and he continues to reveal his thin-skinned stupidity. :(

Sarah Palin has more common sense and a much better practical grasp of issues than obfuscating Obama has after a year on the job!

As an Independent I say: Yes, Sarah will – reform and restore what Obama has destroyed! :)

April 9, 2010 03:47 pm at 3:47 pm |

???????

Did she have to write on her hand again, so she could remenber the lies she's a bout to tell....

April 9, 2010 03:48 pm at 3:48 pm |

Wow well expect the same

are you better off then you were 4 years ago........I AM!!!!!!!!!! hope other can say the same and i'm only 27

April 9, 2010 03:49 pm at 3:49 pm |

?

ignorance is bliss

April 9, 2010 03:50 pm at 3:50 pm |

Mike

It seems that every idea that Obama puts forward with a GOP pedigree is shot down. Looks like the issue for Republicans is more the messenger than the message. Gee, I wonder what it is about Obama that they don't like...

April 9, 2010 03:51 pm at 3:51 pm |

President Obama could walk on water and the Party of NO would still complain that he left footprints!

The witless Wasillia Wonder Bra has a "new policy" for America based on "compassionate conservatism".

Keep providing AT&T a 1 billion "tax credit" that will only help the AT&T shareholders, instead of 32 million working poor attain health insurance. If you are unemployed they cut benefits and let you starve, no extensions to you slackards if you were really looking for work and not sipping beer and watching the widescreen, you would have found a job easily within 6 months. If you cannot access health care, die quickly while waiting in the ER and hope that it was contagious and you take some of those "welfare queen" babies with you. After all, as soon as they hit the birth canal, the little drags on the economy are on their own. Finally, save those zygotes in the womb so cons can send them to the tomb when used as cannon fodder for an elective "christian" holy war, because when the republiklans regain power in 2010 and 2012, they intend to start the "christian crusades" V.2.0. Off the books, of course.

If you manage to survive all of the above then you have "pulled yourself up by the bootstraps" and you have earned right to exist in this great country.

Unless, of course, your black, brown, yellow...

April 9, 2010 03:51 pm at 3:51 pm |

minnie

Oh of couse she writes her own speeches!
Tell me again, what planet are you from?

April 9, 2010 03:53 pm at 3:53 pm |

Sniffit

Know how I / we know that the Palinbot is simply regurgitating what she's been told to say?

Back when Germany and Italy were allied during WWII, some German general commented that he didn't like Italy as an ally: "If Italy is your friend, you need to send four divisions to protect them. If Italy is neutral, you need two divisions to watch them. And if Italy is your enemy, you need one division to fight them"

Palin's comments notwithstanding, the same is true of the American relationship with Israel: Israel, as an "ally," is far more trouble than it's worth.

April 9, 2010 03:55 pm at 3:55 pm |

Shut up sarah

She a sno substance. She is an idiot. She is spiraling. Her time is running out.

April 9, 2010 03:55 pm at 3:55 pm |

John in Indy

the party that preaches tolerence and acceptance (the Dems) are anything BUT tolerent and accepting when it come to Sarah Palin. The hatred and vitriol that you liberals spew is enlightening as to how you think. Im proud to say NO to your bigotted, mean-spirited ideas. Look in the mirror for the 'hate speech' that you claim to decry!

April 9, 2010 03:55 pm at 3:55 pm |

Jeff in Virginia

Glad to see that the hand cheat-sheet is still in full effect.

What a gimmick.

April 9, 2010 03:56 pm at 3:56 pm |

Martin in Atlanta

to Aware: You are either in complete denial, or you're as ignorant as Caribou Barbie.

She is a joke and the best thing for the Democratic Party. Keep it up Sarah!!!

April 9, 2010 03:57 pm at 3:57 pm |

PalmReader

Sarah, do please strive to use what little little intelligence you were given . . .

Only in America can a woman of such profound ignorance get *top billing* as a viable presidential candidate.

Absolutely embarrassing, to say the least!

April 9, 2010 03:57 pm at 3:57 pm |

Irma in North Carolina

This woman ( if you can call her that) needss too get out of the public eye. She should of learned by now that the hate rallys that she held and John boy not putting a stop to it. Of course John Boy did enough bashing too and where did it get them? Dont see them in the white house. Do you? Sarah always talks about (Gods Plan) well he had a good plan for not letting them two take over the white house. I hope he has a plan not to let any republican near the white house.

April 9, 2010 03:57 pm at 3:57 pm |

Martin in Atlanta

James: Do some research before you embarass your self any further.

April 9, 2010 03:58 pm at 3:58 pm |

Marie MD

What values are you talking about pinhead? Bondage clubs, the C Street gang with their "kill the President" preacher, your hate filled speeches, your lies, pam stout and her hero dimwit, gingrich sounding as if he does have values, the list goes on and on.
At least Obama knows that there's a South and North Korea and that Africa is not a country.
Can't say the same for you jacka$$$$$$$$$. Read the comments about you in the Anchorage Daily News. They want to make sure the world knows you are NOT from AK but Idaho (same place stout now lives in).
If her speeches sound half way intelligent you know she didn't write them. Not enough room on the palm of her hand and she laughs at the President using a teleprompter because she can't read fast enough to keep up with one.
Somebody in the repug party has to understand what this woman is doing to their party and shut her the heck up!!!!!!!!!!

April 9, 2010 03:59 pm at 3:59 pm |

Jim

It is amazing how much hate-speech comes from liberals. Instead of addressing issues and making intelligent comments on substance they just keep making personal attacks against Sarah Palin, Republicans, and anyone else on the Right. If I were an intelligent Democrat I would be embarrassed about all the hateful comments listed here.

April 9, 2010 04:01 pm at 4:01 pm |

love to laugh

Oh pleeeeeeeeeeeeease............

Palin/Bachman 2012!!!!

A HUGE GIFT from the baby Jesus and keep my a$$ laughing for years to come!!!!

Laughter is good for you!

April 9, 2010 04:02 pm at 4:02 pm |

Dave

RUN! SARAH! RUN!

Obama/Biden 2012.

April 9, 2010 04:03 pm at 4:03 pm |

gary

You libtards on here....making fun of a few notes on the hand for an entire speech while obozo has to use a teleprompter for an entire speech. It took this clown 17 minutes to respond to a lady about being overtaxed, and he still didn't answer her question. Palin's dumb? I bet she knows there are not 57 states in the union like obozo thinks there are. Just remember Virginia, New Jersey, Massachusetts....and more dimocrat losses in November. lol